CALLIOPE	BIOGRAPHY
Created by Neil Gaiman, Kelley Jones and Malcolm Jones III, based on Greek legends

Calliope; Art by Bryan Talbot and Mark Buckingham

PERSONAL DATA

Identity: The general public believes Calliope to be a figment of myth
Occupation: Muse of Epic Poetry
Marital Status: Divorced
Known Relatives: Zeus (father); Mnemosyne (mother); Clio, Erato, Euterpe, Melpomene, Polyhymnia, Terpsichore, Thalia, Urania (sisters); Oneiros/Morpheus/Dream I (former husband; deceased); Orpheus (son; deceased); Eurydice (daughter-in-law; deceased)
Base of Operation: Unknown, but the Muses are preferential to Mount Helicon, the Parnassus and Delphi, Greece
Group Affiliation(s): The Muses
Gender: Female
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Blonde
First Appearance: Sandman Vol. 2 #17 (July 1990)
Creators: Neil Gaiman, Kelley Jones and Malcolm Jones III, based on Greek legends

”They saw one ought to woo her kind, but I must say I found force most efficacious... After all, I got the fame and the glory. I created the novels, the poems, the plays... I don’t need her any more, Madoc. And you do. Here she is.” – Erasmus Fry

HISTORY

Calliope (”Beautiful Voice”) is the Greek Muse of Epic Poetry. The Muses were the Greek goddesses of poetry and art, the daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne, and the companions of Phoebus Apollo. She is said to be the youngest of the Muses and the Muse of the great Greek bard Homer, the writer of the Iliad and the Odyssey. At some point in time, she met and married Oneiros/Morpheus/Dream of The Endless, and they begat a son, the famous bard Orpheus. By the time their unhappy son was literally torn to pieces by the Bacchante after failing to rescue Eurydice from Hades, Oneiros and Calliope had already separated. [Sandman Special #1, 1991]

In the year 1927, Calliope was bathing in a spring near Mount Helicon when she was bound magically to Erasmus Fry, a man who brought her back to England, kept her prisoner for 60 years, abused her and forced her to make him a famous writer. Before he died, Fry sold Calliope to Richard Madoc, a young writer heretofore unable to top his successful debut novel. By repeatedly abusing Calliope, Madoc attained his goals within a few years, after which she was finally freed by her former husband Morpheus.

Calliope’s current whereabouts are unknown. She last attended the funeral of Morpheus.

POWERS AND WEAPONS

The full extent of Calliope’s powers remain unknown. What is known is about her is that she has the power to inspire people artistically. Her attribute is the scroll, and the burning of that scroll gave Erasmus Fry the power to bind and command her.

CHRONOLOGY

For a definitive list of appearances of Calliope in chronological order click here